Part-time Postdoctoral Impact Fellow (Fixed-term)

As part of Bath Spa’s Arts and Humanities Research Council funded Impact Accelerator Account project, we are looking to recruit a Postdoctoral Impact Fellow to explore the theme of creative evaluation approaches to capture and better understand Arts and Humanities research impact.

This is an exciting opportunity for researchers from any disciplinary background to develop innovative creative evaluation methods and strategies that foreground the knowledge from Arts and Humanities disciplines.

About the Role

This Postdoctoral Impact Fellowship will focus on the use of creative methods and evaluation strategies in the context of Arts and Humanities research impact. Creative research methods and evaluation strategies are becoming more established within a range of disciplines and often build on skills and practices from the arts and humanities. The data collected through these strategies is often analysed using a social science framework and viewed within an instrumental perspective (where potential outcomes are pre-decided and measured against).

As part of the role, you will also have time to develop an impact or evaluation focused project based on your own research interests and will receive support in developing your career as a researcher. You will focus on investigating how creative, participant-centred evaluation methods can effectively capture research impact, particularly through Emergent Value approaches. You will also map current practices, support IAA-funded impact projects at Bath Spa University, and collaborate with Dr Astrid Breel on developing new methodologies. 

The post will also involve creating 1–2 case studies from existing projects and your own research and producing practical resources—including toolkits and tips—to support the wider research community in using creative evaluation methods.

About You

• PhD in any discipline, completed within the last 3 years, or equivalent industry experience
• Research experience in a relevant area
• Commitment to contribute to an equitable research impact environment
• Strong communication skills in different contexts
• Experience of writing to publication standard, including reports
• Experience of, or interest in, the development of creative research or evaluation methods
• Experience of carrying out evaluation

For further information on the essential and desirable skills we’re looking for, please refer to the Job Description. 

Additional Information
 
The salary range shows the potential maximum pay progression in addition to any annual inflationary increase to your pay. Please note that our default position is to appoint into the lower end of the range, unless there are exceptional circumstances.

This is a part-time, fixed term role (10 month contract)

Interview date: 31st July 2025.

The role can be undertaken on a hybrid basis, but some travel to project events may be necessary and there may be an occasional request for out of hours working to support evening/weekend events

The successful applicant will be supporting Dr Astrid Breel in developing Arts and Humanities-led approaches to creative evaluation that are participant-centred and appropriate for the capturing of research impact. This will include applying ideas currently in development as part of the Emergent Value research project, which is developing ways to embed audience research and feedback into their cultural experiences.

Applications are invited from all research disciplines and we encourage interdisciplinary applications and approaches. 

For an informal discussion, please contact Dr Astrid Breel at a.breel@bathspa.ac.uk

We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive sufficient applications for the role.

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